RT-1.8 Radio Telescope for Solar Activity Observations
Transactions of IAA RAS, issue 61, 38–43 (2022)
DOI: 10.32876/ApplAstron.61.38-43
Keywords: Sun, solar radio telescope, solar activity, receiving system, software-defined radio device, SDR
About the paper Full textAbstract
Solar activity observations remain a relevant task for modern radio astronomy. Thus, the development of new radio telescopes is required. A new 1.8 m radio telescope for solar activity observations at 10.7 cm wavelength is being developed at IAA RAS. The main goal for this radio telescope is measuring solar radiation polarization and radio bursts parameters. The work shows the results of the new radio telescope development, particularly the antenna system, pointing system, radio receiver and digital acquisition system. The antenna system is an axisymmetric parabolic mirror with the diameter of 1.8 m and the focal length of 660 mm. The pointing system provides a tracking accuracy of 5 arcmin and high slew rates (up to 5°/s), allowing not only tracking the Sun, but also performing quick scans and moves for calibration purposes. The focal container of the receiving system with the feed is located in the primary focus. The RT-1.8 feed is a scalar horn operating at 2785–2815 MHz frequency band, the reflector irradiation angle is ±(65–70)°. The receiving system allows receiving the right and left circular polarizations of radio emission with the ability to change the received polarization using a switch. This ensures the identity of the signal paths of the left and right circular polarization to determine the polarization degree of solar radio emission. The receiving channel is calibrated with a signal from an IMPATT diode noise generator (IMPact ionization Avalanche Transit-Time diode). The noise generator is thermostated to provide the stability of the calibration signal. The digital acquisition system is based on the NI USRP-2922 software-defined radio device. It is located behind the mirror of the radio telescope. USRP allows digitizing the 25 MHz bandwidth with a 16 bit resolution. Control and data transmission are implemented via Ethernet interface. The paper presents the results of measuring parameters of the receiving system and feed, as well as the characteristics of the radio telescope measured at the Svetloe observatory.
Citation
M. Zotov, V. Bykov, Y. Vekshin, D. Erofeev, A. Lavrov, V. Stempkovsky, E. Khvostov, V. Chernov, A. Shishikin, Д. С. Бетеня. RT-1.8 Radio Telescope for Solar Activity Observations // Transactions of IAA RAS. — 2022. — Issue 61. — P. 38–43.
@article{zotov2022,
abstract = {Solar activity observations remain a relevant task for modern radio astronomy. Thus, the development of new radio telescopes is required. A new 1.8 m radio telescope for solar activity observations at 10.7 cm wavelength is being developed at IAA RAS. The main goal for this radio telescope is measuring solar radiation polarization and radio bursts parameters.
The work shows the results of the new radio telescope development, particularly the antenna system, pointing system, radio receiver and digital acquisition system. The antenna system is an axisymmetric parabolic mirror with the diameter of 1.8 m and the focal length of 660 mm. The pointing system provides a tracking accuracy of 5 arcmin and high slew rates (up to 5°/s), allowing not only tracking the Sun, but also performing quick scans and moves for calibration purposes. The focal container of the receiving system with the feed is located in the primary focus. The RT-1.8 feed is a scalar horn operating at 2785–2815 MHz frequency band, the reflector irradiation angle is ±(65–70)°. The receiving system allows receiving the right and left circular polarizations of radio emission with the ability to change the received polarization using a switch. This ensures the identity of the signal paths of the left and right circular polarization to determine the polarization degree of solar radio emission. The receiving channel is calibrated with a signal from an IMPATT diode noise generator (IMPact ionization Avalanche Transit-Time diode). The noise generator is thermostated to provide the stability of the calibration signal. The digital acquisition system is based on the NI USRP-2922 software-defined radio device. It is located behind the mirror of the radio telescope. USRP allows digitizing the 25 MHz bandwidth with a 16 bit resolution. Control and data transmission are implemented via Ethernet interface. The paper presents the results of measuring parameters of the receiving system and feed, as well as the characteristics of the radio telescope measured at the Svetloe observatory.},
author = {M. Zotov and V. Bykov and Y. Vekshin and D. Erofeev and A. Lavrov and V. Stempkovsky and E. Khvostov and V. Chernov and A. Shishikin and Д.~С. Бетеня},
doi = {10.32876/ApplAstron.61.38-43},
issue = {61},
journal = {Transactions of IAA RAS},
keyword = {Sun, solar radio telescope, solar activity, receiving system, software-defined radio device, SDR},
pages = {38--43},
title = {RT-1.8 Radio Telescope for Solar Activity Observations},
url = {http://iaaras.ru/en/library/paper/2125/},
year = {2022}
}
TY - JOUR
TI - RT-1.8 Radio Telescope for Solar Activity Observations
AU - Zotov, M.
AU - Bykov, V.
AU - Vekshin, Y.
AU - Erofeev, D.
AU - Lavrov, A.
AU - Stempkovsky, V.
AU - Khvostov, E.
AU - Chernov, V.
AU - Shishikin, A.
AU - Бетеня, Д. С.
PY - 2022
T2 - Transactions of IAA RAS
IS - 61
SP - 38
AB - Solar activity observations remain a relevant task for modern radio
astronomy. Thus, the development of new radio telescopes is required.
A new 1.8 m radio telescope for solar activity observations at 10.7
cm wavelength is being developed at IAA RAS. The main goal for this
radio telescope is measuring solar radiation polarization and radio
bursts parameters. The work shows the results of the new radio
telescope development, particularly the antenna system, pointing
system, radio receiver and digital acquisition system. The antenna
system is an axisymmetric parabolic mirror with the diameter of 1.8 m
and the focal length of 660 mm. The pointing system provides a
tracking accuracy of 5 arcmin and high slew rates (up to 5°/s),
allowing not only tracking the Sun, but also performing quick scans
and moves for calibration purposes. The focal container of the
receiving system with the feed is located in the primary focus. The
RT-1.8 feed is a scalar horn operating at 2785–2815 MHz frequency
band, the reflector irradiation angle is ±(65–70)°. The receiving
system allows receiving the right and left circular polarizations of
radio emission with the ability to change the received polarization
using a switch. This ensures the identity of the signal paths of the
left and right circular polarization to determine the polarization
degree of solar radio emission. The receiving channel is calibrated
with a signal from an IMPATT diode noise generator (IMPact ionization
Avalanche Transit-Time diode). The noise generator is thermostated to
provide the stability of the calibration signal. The digital
acquisition system is based on the NI USRP-2922 software-defined
radio device. It is located behind the mirror of the radio telescope.
USRP allows digitizing the 25 MHz bandwidth with a 16 bit resolution.
Control and data transmission are implemented via Ethernet interface.
The paper presents the results of measuring parameters of the
receiving system and feed, as well as the characteristics of the
radio telescope measured at the Svetloe observatory.
DO - 10.32876/ApplAstron.61.38-43
UR - http://iaaras.ru/en/library/paper/2125/
ER -